A NEW LANDMARK, PROJECT: DOMINIQUE PERRAULT ARCHITECTURE
Following
in the wake of Dominique Perrault's research into the architectural potential
of underground spaces in our cities, the “Groundespace”, “Double Deck”, creates
a new topography in the heart of the EPFL campus in Lausanne by juxtaposing
different works of architecture that interrelate in a harmonious way.
Winner
of a competition launched by the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne to
adapt its teaching facilities to the needs of a growing student population,
Dominique Perrault's project includes both the construction of a new building
in the space below the Esplanade and the renovation of the Coupole building.
The
renovation of the Coupole will ensure it is more effective at meeting current
academic needs and energy consumption targets. Completely redesigned, its
façade will blend in with the surrounding spaces while respecting the history
of the university and its buildings. The dining hall will be enlarged and its
classrooms will be modernised.
Avant et après projet
A distinctive feature of the square, the new building will house modular classrooms seating 200-500 students located on the site of the underground car park and will be set slightly higher than the old square. The building's fully-landscaped roof will extend southwards towards the Alps and set the campus's identity: a large garden-square-belvedere, a new public space offering new views of the surrounding landscape.
The
complex will include new cycle paths and footpaths on both levels. The boundary
between the ground floor and basement will be blurred to make circulation more
fluid and create a place for socialising and relaxing right in the middle of
the campus. The design strategy will consist of reusing and converting the old infrastructure
into architectural features.
Creating
two levels and adding new green spaces will complement and enhance the existing
structures. The car park will be relocated in the lower level of the new
building along with the auditoriums, while the upper area will be turned into a
meeting place with a large garden. Scheduled to open in 2027, ‘Double Deck’
will be “a large-scale architectural complex that will give urban coherence and
a new focus to the site of the EPFL” (Dominique Perrault).
Client:
EPFL; Project Management: Perrault Architecture / Itten + Brechbühl (Architect) ;
Altitude 35 (Landscaper); T groupe Structural (design); Tecnoservice (Fluids
engineer); Sorane (environnemental engineer); Fire safety (Fire safety engineer); d’Silence (Acoustic
engineer); EPPAG (Façades design engineer); LAMA (Kitchen designer)
